ONE BIG HOCKEY FAMILY
Lower Sackville, N.S., rallies for P.E.I. rink
SUMMERSIDE - Two hockey teams and their communities came together Saturday morning, not as rivals, but rather, as allies outside Sackville Community Arena in Nova Scotia to ‘Rally for the Tyne Valley.’
Jamie Munroe, a hockey dad with the Sackville Minor Hockey Association, forfeited his Lower Sackville Kraft Hockeyville bid when he learned the Tyne Valley Community Sports Centre had burned and was a “total loss” on Dec. 29.
“Our (Lower Sackville) rink is in need of upgrades, but we can still go there and watch our kids play hockey,” said Munroe, who organized the Nova Scotia rally for Tyne Valley that gathered several hundred people from across the Maritimes at 10:30 a.m.
“We hosted the rally at the back of the Sackville Arena, and it gathered between 800 to 1,000 people. There were around 52 people that arrived by bus from P.E.I., including several that had driven down,” he said.
“When the Islanders stepped off the bus and saw our kids with rally signs and taped hockey sticks showing their support, many were teary-eyed. It was a great atmosphere.”
The support for Tyne Valley Community Sports Centre has spread across the country "like wildfire," said Munroe.
“I never expected this to snowball when we decided to give our nomination away. I’ve been busy over the past week trying to keep up with emails, interviews, and phone calls. But hockey is a passion, and now that I’ve ignited everyone with this rally, I want to keep it going,” he said.
Munroe acknowledged that the Sackville arena, like any rink, is the heartbeat of the community.
“We had a lot of hockey players pass away at a young age, and they were a part of our arena, so this is much more than just a rink. It’s a place where people go to grieve and heal. It’s a meeting place for friends, a place to hang out, and enjoy a game.”
Corey Marson, a Lower Sackville hockey dad, said when he heard Munroe was throwing support behind Tyne Valley he jumped on board.
“For me, the decision to show support for Tyne Valley was an easy one. We have two functional rinks in (Lower) Sackville, and I know it would be devastating to lose your ice surface. I think this whole situation speaks volumes about not only our community but the hockey family in Canada,” said Marson.
“It says a lot about Jamie (Munroe) because not everyone could rally this kind of attention, so this truly shows what a great person he is in our community,” he added.
Hockey continues to bring people together in a way many could never have imagined.
“To see this adventure move from our little village to having the daily messages from hockey communities across the Maritimes become a part of this journey is absolutely amazing,” said Rachel Noye, a member of the Tyne Valley Hockeyville Committee.
One of the posters at the rally summed up everything perfectly, “One big hockey family.”
To nominate Tyne Valley Community Sports Centre for Kraft Hockeyville, visit www. krafthockeyville.ca/#/community/tynevalleysports.